December City Updates

DALLAS UPDATE

Snapshot:

200 earrings gifted

9 Club Team members

4 Security Team members

Thank you to our volunteers and Club Team members who made 200 custom earring sets for our friends in the clubs. This team of volunteers showed love so pure by giving up one of their evenings to work on the earrings. The time we spent creating the gifts was a blessing as we shared conversation and stories.

I would also like to say “Thank You” to the many individuals and churches that sponsored the Dallas outreaches in 2017. We could not have done our outreaches without your support!

What a joy to head out the Friday before Christmas to love our friends. As we entered each club we were welcomed as always with hugs and smiles. Although our friends were few in the clubs due to the holidays we had wonderful conversation with the friends that were working.

Looking back on 2017 I thank God for allowing me to be a part of such a great team and for allowing us to simply love. My prayer for 2018 is that we simply love and shine His glory; so that each individual knows they are loved beyond measure.

City Needs:

2018 Sponsorships for Dallas Outreach

KILLEEN UPDATE

Snapshot:

25 Christmas mugs gifted

Story:

On the crisp, cool evening of December 15th, we loaded up in the car and headed to Chick-fil-A to pick up a snack to take to our girls. When we stepped into the club, we were welcomed with smiles and greetings from the girl working the front — she was eager to see us and we immediately offered her one of the Christmas gifts we had brought. She thanked us and waved us through the doors to the strange, but becoming familiar, world behind them. I’ve noticed, the past few times we have visited, we have not had to ask permission to walk further, or even introduce ourselves. They just smile and wave, as we walk purposefully through.

There were quite a few girls back in the dressing room and the greetings were just as they usually are — some hugged us, enthusiastic about our arrival, and some ignored us, or glanced shyly up from make-up, mirrors, and curling irons. The two of us on Club Team for the evening split up, each gravitating toward conversation with the girls, some of whom we have met before. I chatted for a while with a friend we hadn’t seen the past few months and she shared with pride that she has been in school working toward a degree, as she had previously shared with me that she hoped to. I hugged her, congratulated her, and promised to send her a JSL T-shirt.

The holiday season always seems to bring a unique kind of energy. For some, it is exciting and nostalgic, a season of hope followed by the promise of a fresh year. But for others there is a nervous and even heavy sort of energy that colors their faces and attitudes. I noticed, for some, the mention of Christmas brought about a weary nod and a forced smile. I can identify with mixed holiday emotions. Regardless, this outreach re-established the remembrance of the importance of prayer for hope to touch the lives of each of our friends who spend their nights dancing and their days desperately trying to hold their lives and families together. God, they are strong. She is strong. My prayer is that we never discredit this strength.

City Needs:

New City Team Leader for Temple/Killeen

Outreach sponsorship partners for 2018

Babysitting Team Leader and Hospitality Team Leader

Additional community partnerships and volunteers-- if you're interested in volunteering, go to jesussaidlove.com/volunteer and fill out a volunteer form!

HOUSTON UPDATE

Snapshot:

Story:

We were so blessed by Tomball Bible Church and all their efforts to collect and assemble the gifts for December outreach. All of the ladies were excited to see us and were overwhelmed by the gifts bags filled with lots of LOVE!! There is an unexplainable joy that comes from seeing the women receive gifts that they weren't expecting and watch them unwrap the love that went into each gift. It reminds me of the gift we have in Jesus....we weren't expecting Him nor did we find ourselves worthy of such a great gift, but His love for us changed everything!

At the final club we went to the house mom actually had gift bags prepared for us and that was such a precious surprise! What a blessing to have these ladies pour back into us with a loving and thoughtful gift. This year has been another amazing year of getting to know these wonderful women and deepening our existing relationships with them and our own individual relationships with the Lord as He uses us as vessels of Hiss transforming love!

City Needs:

Pray for the relationships to continue to deepen outside the clubs between the ladies and our team

Pray for the men that are broken attending and working in these establishments

Pray for our Houston Team as we search for the next City Team Leader

WACO UPDATE

Snapshot:

25 Christmas mugs gifted

Story:

The girls loved receiving the Christmas coffee mugs. The club was very slow with customers, so we were able to have some quality time with the few girls present in the dressing room. We met two new girls who recently re-entered the industry. One of them is raising a baby on her own. The father was arrested on drug charges and she is planning to move to live with her mom and get help with the baby. We are praying she is able to get the family support she needs with her baby.It was a great night of good conversation with the girls. We are praying for each one and the hard life choices ahead of them.